Lt Col USA (Ret) Charles D. "Bud" Butte passed away on Saturday, August 21, 2010 at the Veteran's Administration Extended Care Facility in West Palm Beach, FL. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 62 years, Velma. He will join her in eternal rest with Full Military Honors at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. Lieutenant Colonel Butte was born in Duquesne, PA, and enlisted in the U. S. Army in February 1943. He served with the 603rd Quartermaster Graves Registration Company in Europe in World War II, and took part in the Normandy Invasion and the Battle of the Bulge, and while still in Europe was commissioned Second Lieutenant. He became an Airborne Jumpmaster following the war, and served with the 407th QM Company (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, NC. A qualified rigger, he also served as an instructor and Chief of the Maintenance Branch at the Quartermaster School's Airborne Department at Fort Lee in the early 1950s. Between 1954 and 1963, he held a variety of key Aerial Delivery and Field Services assignments in Korea, Germany, and at bases in CONUS (Continental United States). Lieutenant Colonel Butte returned to the 82nd Airborne Division (1963-65) and, among other assignments, was the Division Out-Loading Officer for the Dominican Republic Airborne Combat Operation, and later commanded the 407th Supply and Transportation Battalion. In 1966 he deployed to Vietnam with the 543rd Quartermaster Group and served as Special Projects Officer to deal with mounting supply problems in the Saigon Logistical Command. Throughout his 24-year military career, and in the four decades since, Lieutenant Colonel Butte has been a tireless advocate of Quartermaster history and heritage, especially in the area of mortuary affairs. His many awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Belgian Fourragere, the Army Commendation Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Master Parachutist Badge, Rigger Badge, Korean Parachute Wings, five Battle Stars, a Bronze Arrowhead for the Normandy Invasion, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Dominican Republic) and the Combat Infantry Badge. In 2008, LTC Butte was inducted into the Quartermaster Hall of Fame in Ft Lee, Virginia and is also a recipient of the Gold Medallion, Ancient order of the Military Order of Saint Martin. LTC Butte acquired his teaching credential after army retirement and enjoyed a second career as a teacher at Roosevelt Junior High School in Columbus, OH. He is also credited as being the "father of Italian baseball" having championed the sport while stationed in Italy and creating the first permanent baseball stadium in Nettuno, Italy in 1947. He is survived by his sister, Evelyn Penwell; his son, Charles and granddaughters, Jacqueline Friedlander, Danielle and Meredith. A Memorial Gathering will be held on Friday, August 27, 2010, between 4 PM and 6 PM at the funeral home.
Palm Beach Post, The (FL) - August 26, 2010